Friday 1 December 2023

Tune of the Day: Study in F major by Ferling

 from “48 Famous Studies for Oboe or Saxophone”

Today's piece is the tenth study from 48 Études pour hautbois ou saxophone, composed around 1835 by German oboist and clarinetist Franz Wilhelm Ferling.

Categories: Etudes Difficulty: intermediate
Saturday 2 December 2023

Tune of the Day: Chalet Fever

 Jig by Rory Campbell

Today's tune is taken from a collection kindly donated to us by piper Roddy Campbell from the Outer Hebrides, Scotland. This fast jig was composed by his son, Rory. You can listen to the author playing it on the pipes here.

Categories: Celtic Music Contemporary Jigs Difficulty: intermediate
Sunday 3 December 2023

Tune of the Day: Andante by Braun

 from Flute Sonata in E minor

This is the opening movement of Jean-Daniel Braun's Flute Sonata in E minor, which was published in Paris in 1740, two years after the death of the composer, together with his Pièces sans basse.

Categories: Baroque Sonatas Written for Flute Difficulty: advanced
Monday 4 December 2023

Tune of the Day: Légèrement by Boismortier

 from Sonata for 3 Flutes in A major

This is the second movement of a sonata for 3 flutes in A major by the prolific French Baroque composer Joseph Bodin de Boismortier. It was first published in Paris in 1725.

Categories: Baroque Sonatas Written for Flute Difficulty: intermediate
Tuesday 5 December 2023

Tune of the Day: Study in A major by Clinton

 from “A Theoretical and Practical Essay on the Boehm Flute”

Today we propose a little study by British flutist and composer John Clinton. It was first published in London in 1843, as part of his A Theoretical and Practical Essay on the Boehm Flute.

Categories: Etudes Written for Flute Difficulty: easy
Wednesday 6 December 2023

Tune of the Day: The End of the Day

 Traditional Irish jig

This jig first appears as “The End of the Day” in Francis O'Neill's celebrated collection Music of Ireland, published in Chicago in 1903. However, the tune closely resembles another one, known as “Barley Grain”, which can be traced back to the 1850s.

Categories: Jigs Traditional/Folk Difficulty: easy
Thursday 7 December 2023

Tune of the Day: Allegro by Handel

 from Violin Sonata in D major

Today we propose the second movement from a sonata for violin and basso continuo in D major, HWV 371, composed by George Frideric Handel around 1750.

Categories: Baroque Sonatas Difficulty: intermediate
Friday 8 December 2023

Tune of the Day: Lentement by Boismortier

 from Sonata for 3 Flutes in A major

This is the third movement of a sonata for 3 flutes in A major by the prolific French Baroque composer Joseph Bodin de Boismortier. It was first published in Paris in 1725.

Categories: Baroque Sonatas Written for Flute Difficulty: intermediate
Saturday 9 December 2023

Tune of the Day: Study in F major by Ferling

 from “48 Famous Studies for Oboe or Saxophone”

Today's piece is the ninth study from 48 Études pour hautbois ou saxophone, composed around 1835 by German oboist and clarinetist Franz Wilhelm Ferling.

Categories: Etudes Difficulty: intermediate
Sunday 10 December 2023

Tune of the Day: Ring the Bell, Watchman

 aka “Click Go the Shears”

Nowadays this melody is best known as the vehicle for the Australian bush ballad “Click Go the Shears”, which details a day's work for a sheep shearer.

The tune, however, comes from American Civil War song “Ring the Bell, Watchman” by Henry Clay Work, originally published in 1865. The first verse of “Click Go the Shears” follows closely, in parody, Work's lyrics as well. The earliest version of the Australian song can be found in a 1891 edition of the regional Victorian newspaper The Bacchus Marsh Express, under the title “The Bare Belled Ewe”, where the tune was indeed given as “Ring the Bell Watchman”. There was a shearers' strike in 1891, so the publication of the song in that year probably resonated with the Australian community.

“Click Go the Shears” has since been recorded by many artists, notably in 1958 by American folk musician Burl Ives, on his album Australian Folk Songs.

Thanks to Michael for suggesting this tune!

Categories: American Civil War Traditional/Folk Difficulty: easy
Monday 11 December 2023

Tune of the Day: Allegro by Braun

 from Flute Sonata in E minor

This is the second movement of Jean-Daniel Braun's Flute Sonata in E minor, which was published in Paris in 1740, two years after the composer's death, together with his Pièces sans basse.

Categories: Baroque Sonatas Written for Flute Difficulty: intermediate
Tuesday 12 December 2023

Tune of the Day: Gavotte by Boismortier

 from Sonata for 3 Flutes in A major

This gavotte is the fourth and last movement of a sonata for 3 flutes in A major by the prolific French Baroque composer Joseph Bodin de Boismortier. It was first published in Paris in 1725.

Categories: Baroque Gavottes Sonatas Written for Flute Difficulty: intermediate
Wednesday 13 December 2023

Tune of the Day: Study in G major by Clinton

 from “A Theoretical and Practical Essay on the Boehm Flute”

Today we propose a little study by British flutist and composer John Clinton. It was first published in London in 1843, as part of his A Theoretical and Practical Essay on the Boehm Flute.

Categories: Etudes Written for Flute Difficulty: easy
Thursday 14 December 2023

Tune of the Day: Farewell to Millennium Village

 Jig by Rory Campbell

Today's tune is taken from a collection kindly donated to us by piper Roddy Campbell from the Outer Hebrides, Scotland. This fast jig was composed by his son Rory, and was recorded in Deaf Shepherd's 2001 album Even in the Rain.

Categories: Celtic Music Contemporary Jigs Difficulty: easy
Friday 15 December 2023

Tune of the Day: Larghetto by Handel

 from Violin Sonata in D major

Today we propose the third movement from a sonata for violin and basso continuo in D major, HWV 371, composed by George Frideric Handel around 1750.

Categories: Baroque Sonatas Difficulty: intermediate
Saturday 16 December 2023

Tune of the Day: God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen

 arranged for three flutes

Undoubtedly one of the most popular Christmas carols, “God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen” is quite an old song. The earliest known version was found in an anonymous manuscript dating back all the way to the 1650s! And yet, to this day it remains a ubiquitous presence during Christmas time.

Thanks to Mark for contributing this arrangement for three flutes!

Categories: Christmas carols Hymn tunes Traditional/Folk Difficulty: easy
Sunday 17 December 2023

Tune of the Day: Study in E minor by Ferling

 from “48 Famous Studies for Oboe or Saxophone”

Today's piece is the seventh study from 48 Études pour hautbois ou saxophone, composed around 1835 by German oboist and clarinetist Franz Wilhelm Ferling.

Categories: Etudes Difficulty: intermediate
Monday 18 December 2023

Tune of the Day: Bound for South Australia

 Traditional sea shanty

This sea shanty, also known as “Rolling King”, has historically been used as a worksong in a variety of trades, as we know it was sung by the wool and wheat traders who worked the clipper ships between Australian ports and London. In adapted form, it is now a very popular song among folk music performers.

The tune was first noted by sea music author Laura A. Smith, who collected it “from a coloured seaman at the [Sailors'] 'Home'” in London and published it in her 1888 collection The Music of the Waters.

Information on the age, spread, and practical use of the shanty is relatively sparse. However, the evidence at hand does not suggest there is anything particularly “Australian” about the song, contrary to how it has become popularly envisioned since the late 20th century.

Categories: Sea shanties Traditional/Folk Difficulty: easy
Tuesday 19 December 2023

Tune of the Day: Adagio by Braun

 from Flute Sonata in E minor

This short Adagio is the third movement of Jean-Daniel Braun's Flute Sonata in E minor, which was published in Paris in 1740, two years after the composer's death, together with his Pièces sans basse.

Categories: Baroque Sonatas Written for Flute Difficulty: easy
Wednesday 20 December 2023

Tune of the Day: Joseph, O Dear Joseph Mine

 arranged for three flutes

Today we present an arrangement for flute trio of the traditional carol “Joseph, O Dear Joseph Mine”. It is a very old melody, dating back to 14th-century Germany.

Joseph, O dear Joseph mine,
Help me rock the Child divine,
God reward both thee and thine,
In paradise,
So prays the mother.

Thanks to Mark for contributing this arrangement!

Thursday 21 December 2023

Tune of the Day: Study in E major by Clinton

 from “A Theoretical and Practical Essay on the Boehm Flute”

Today we propose a little study in E major by British flutist and composer John Clinton. It was first published in London in 1843, as part of his A Theoretical and Practical Essay on the Boehm Flute.

Categories: Etudes Written for Flute Difficulty: intermediate
Friday 22 December 2023

Tune of the Day: Intrepid

 Jig by Rory Campbell

Today's tune is taken from a collection kindly donated to us by piper Roddy Campbell from the Outer Hebrides, Scotland. This fast jig was composed by his son, Rory. Intrepid is also the title of the album Rory released in 2007.

Categories: Celtic Music Contemporary Jigs Difficulty: intermediate
Saturday 23 December 2023

Tune of the Day: Ballo detto il Conte Orlando

 transcribed for solo flute

This lute piece by Italian late-Renaissance composer Simone Molinaro was first published in 1599 in the first book of his Intavolatura di liuto. The title could be translated as “Dance called the Count Orlando”.

In 1917, composer Ottorino Respighi used Molinaro's music as the basis for the first piece of his Ancient Airs and Dances Suite No. 1, changing the title slightly to “Balletto detto il Conte Orlando” (balletto being the diminutive of ballo).

Thanks to Phil for suggesting this piece!

Categories: Renaissance Difficulty: easy
Sunday 24 December 2023

Tune of the Day: Away in a Manger

 arranged for three flutes

If you do not recognize the melody of this popular Christmas carol, it is probably because over the last two centuries it has been set to some 40 different tunes! The one we present today is the one most commonly sung in the United Kingdom, which was composed around 1895 by Irish-born American hymnwriter William James Kirkpatrick.

Many thanks to Mark for contributing this arrangement for flute trio!

Categories: Christmas carols Hymn tunes Difficulty: easy
Monday 25 December 2023

Tune of the Day: Christmas Hornpipe

 Traditional American hornpipe

This tune was first printed in Elias Howe's 1000 Jigs and Reels, published in Boston around 1867. It is most commonly used for contra dancing, and in fact instructions for a “Christmas Hornpipe” dance had been published as early as 1862 in Howe's American Dancing Master.

Merry Christmas to all!

Categories: Hornpipes Traditional/Folk Difficulty: intermediate
Tuesday 26 December 2023

Tune of the Day: Study in G major by Ferling

 from “48 Famous Studies for Oboe or Saxophone”

Today's piece is the fifth study from 48 Études pour hautbois ou saxophone, composed around 1835 by German oboist and clarinetist Franz Wilhelm Ferling.

Categories: Etudes Difficulty: intermediate
Wednesday 27 December 2023

Tune of the Day: Allegro by Handel

 from Violin Sonata in D major

This is the fourth and final movement of a sonata for violin and basso continuo in D major, HWV 371, composed by George Frideric Handel around 1750.

Categories: Baroque Sonatas Difficulty: intermediate
Thursday 28 December 2023

Tune of the Day: Doucement by Boismortier

 from Sonata for 3 Flutes in D minor

This is the opening movement of a sonata for 3 flutes in D minor by the prolific French Baroque composer Joseph Bodin de Boismortier. It was first published in Paris in 1725.

Categories: Baroque Sonatas Written for Flute Difficulty: intermediate
Friday 29 December 2023

Tune of the Day: Study in G major by Clinton

 from “A Theoretical and Practical Essay on the Boehm Flute”

Today we propose a little study in G major by British flutist and composer John Clinton. It was first published in London in 1843, as part of his A Theoretical and Practical Essay on the Boehm Flute.

Categories: Etudes Written for Flute Difficulty: easy
Saturday 30 December 2023

Tune of the Day: The Asturias Jig

 Jig by Rory Campbell

Today's tune is taken from a collection kindly donated to us by piper Roddy Campbell from the Outer Hebrides, Scotland. This fast jig was composed by his son, Rory, who recorded it on his 1996 album The Piper's Whim.

Categories: Celtic Music Contemporary Jigs Difficulty: intermediate
Sunday 31 December 2023

Tune of the Day: Corrente by Braun

 from Flute Sonata in E minor

This corrente is the fourth and final movement of Jean-Daniel Braun's Flute Sonata in E minor, which was published in Paris in 1740, two years after the composer's death, together with his Pièces sans basse.

Categories: Baroque Courantes Sonatas Written for Flute Difficulty: intermediate